This month we are focusing in on our choices and what it looks like to make good choices in a world serving junk. We are specifically focused on our choices in these areas:

• Food
• Social media
• Self care
• Time

This week we are going to confront social media and specifically Facebook. You ready? Time for some self reflection.

While I know Facebook has redeeming qualities such as connecting families across the globe, promoting businesses and discovering that the Christmas present your child is begging for happens to be on massive sale right now I have also come to conclusion that Facebook can be as hurtful and harmful of an addiction for women as porn is for men. I promise you I don’t take that comparison lightly.

Through coaching I listen to women daily who are addicted to this visually stimulating thing that comes across their computer screen, phone or tablet and they use it. They use it to seek out affirmation, validation, relationship and entertainment. But most of all they use it as an escape from reality. Many of the same adjectives people would use to describe what is sick about why men use porn, huh? Stings a bit to think about it in that light.

Facebook and social media are here to stay if not get larger and louder in our lives so how do we learn to manage them in ways that are good and health?

“I have the right to do anything,” you say – but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything” – but will not be mastered by anything.” 1 Corinthians 6:12

How do we allow God to remain our master and not allow ourselves to be mastered by social media?

I believe the first step is developing your social media plan.

Why are you there?

Are you helping grandparents that are far way stay connected to their grand kids, networking, looking for advice and ideas, entertainment through games, or seeking encouragement and accountability?

Declare your Facebook intention.

Here is mine:  I am on facebook to share photos and stay connected with my family in Texas and California. I am there to encourage women through providing resources.

Once you know your why you can begin to evaluate the times you get off track and find yourself wandering off course.

In the evenings, when it is just me up and I am supposed to be working, I can find myself checking on one thing, that leads to a new click, which sends me to a new site, that sends me discovering a new blog, that has an ad for something I was curious about and ½ hour later I am wondering where all my time has gone to get work done or go to bed ON TIME!!! Why do I do this? I do it because I am tired and I lose focus. I shouldn’t be on Facebook late at night…thus my Choices goal of hitting the sack by 10 p.m. nightly.

Facebook when not used with good intention brings out ugly. Amen? It causes us to waste time, play comparison games, seek validation, avoid our family, brush off our children, and be busy when all our souls really desire is rest.

So I am declaring a daily 1 hour Facebook Smackdown Challenge! (#fbsmackdown)

By joining the challenge you are making a comittment to spend a maximum of 1 hour on Facebook daily.

I plan to do this by breaking this in to 3 sections of the day.

Morning = 15 minutes max

Afternoon = 15 minutes max

Evening = 30 minutes max

I will use the stopwatch on my phone to keep track of my usage through the day. I have been practicing this week to make sure I was giving you a good idea and while it did work I would highly suggest removing the Facebook app from your phone and only tracking yourself on an actually computer. It is easier visually to stay on top of your goal. I would also suggest having an app like You Version or She Read Truth replace where your FB app was on  your phone so that when you fingers start moving to do something on your phone you can go straight there.

If you would like to join me in the #fbsmackdown Challenge you can sign up here.

I will keep sign ups open through the week and then by Monday, September 15^th I will send out a Google Drive accountability sheet where you can track your progress along with everyone else (no last names revealed) participating including myself. The goal is going to be 30 days! I would encourage you to invite a friend to join you. Accountabilty is going to be key. And I would encourage you to come up with your own reward. Mine is a pedicure because this is going to be a biggie so it deserves a big reward.

If this makes you nervous then give it a shot and just see…just see what freedom looks like once you give permission for God to be the only master over your day.